General situation addressed

Cases
Case status
Unknown
Location of case in SG report
2022-055-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2022
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 12.865416

Longitude: -85.207229

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Nicaragua
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
  • UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
Dates of prior UN action
March 2022
Type of record
General situation addressed
Gender
Gender unclear
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

civil society carrying out activities in Nicaragua

Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant, member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal
  1. During the reporting period, multiple UN actors continued to address intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, in particular the impact of restrictive laws on the ability and willingness of civil society organizations to cooperate with the United Nations. In the first quarter of 2022, over 130 NGOs, including the country’s main human rights NGOs, were liquidated for alleged non-compliance with several laws and regulations. , It has been reported to OHCHR that enforcement of this legislation has severely limited the capacity and willingness of civil society organizations to carry out their activities in Nicaragua, thus also constraining their cooperation with the UN. On 2 April 2022, a new Law on the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organizations (No. 1115) was adopted, further restricting the activities of civil society actors and their ability to engage with the UN.
  2. In the presentation of her March 2022 report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/49/23, paras. 45–52), the High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the repeal of the legislation unduly restricting the civic and democratic space. In her reply during the dialogue, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that OHCHR had received reports about Nicaraguans choosing not to communicate with the United Nations due to fear of reprisals against them and their families. She called on authorities to cease, publicly condemn, and sanction any attack or harassment against political activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, including those who cooperate with the United Nations, and their families.
  3. In March 2022, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 49/3 on the promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua condemning all acts of intimidation and reprisal, both online and offline, by State and non-State actors against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations. The Council called upon the “Government to prevent, refrain from and publicly condemn, investigate and punish any acts of intimidation or reprisal for cooperation with the United Nations” (A/HRC/RES/49/3).
Engagement with UN body
  • Unclear
Type of attempted engagement
  • Unclear
Dates of mentioned reprisals
2 April 2022
Location of mentioned reprisals
Nicaragua
Reprisal information
  1. During the reporting period, multiple UN actors continued to address intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, in particular the impact of restrictive laws on the ability and willingness of civil society organizations to cooperate with the United Nations. In the first quarter of 2022, over 130 NGOs, including the country’s main human rights NGOs, were liquidated for alleged non-compliance with several laws and regulations. , It has been reported to OHCHR that enforcement of this legislation has severely limited the capacity and willingness of civil society organizations to carry out their activities in Nicaragua, thus also constraining their cooperation with the UN. On 2 April 2022, a new Law on the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organizations (No. 1115) was adopted, further restricting the activities of civil society actors and their ability to engage with the UN.
  2. In the presentation of her March 2022 report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/49/23, paras. 45–52), the High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the repeal of the legislation unduly restricting the civic and democratic space. In her reply during the dialogue, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that OHCHR had received reports about Nicaraguans choosing not to communicate with the United Nations due to fear of reprisals against them and their families. She called on authorities to cease, publicly condemn, and sanction any attack or harassment against political activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, including those who cooperate with the United Nations, and their families.
  3. In March 2022, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 49/3 on the promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua condemning all acts of intimidation and reprisal, both online and offline, by State and non-State actors against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations. The Council called upon the “Government to prevent, refrain from and publicly condemn, investigate and punish any acts of intimidation or reprisal for cooperation with the United Nations” (A/HRC/RES/49/3).
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Administrative reprisal
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
Yes
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
No
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
Yes
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
0